STAIN OPTIONS
Everything You Need to Consider When Choosing a Stain for Your Hardwood Floors
Once a stain color is set, it can only be changed by re-sanding and re-staining, so it pays to consider all the factors when choosing a stain color for your hardwood floors. Below are the top items that homeowners should consider when choosing a stain for their hardwoods.
Species
Different species absorb stain differently, which is why it is crucial to consider this while choosing a stain color. For example, oak is one of the easiest species of wood to stain and gives you the most color options. On the other hand, species such as maple, birch, pine and many other exotic species are more difficult to stain evenly because of their tight grains and tiny pores.
Helpful Tip: Choose an installer, such as Filipski Hardwood Floors, that does a sample stain on your actual hardwood floors. This way you’ll know exactly what your stain will look like on your species of wood.
Décor
The color of your hardwood floors can make or break your décor, but the right stain can do wonders for your home. Consider things such as paint colors, furnishings, style and accent colors in your home.
A lighter stain can brighten a dark room while adding a clean touch.
Medium stains pair well with more traditional decor and are great for tying a room together by matching other wood accents.
Darker stains can add a modern touch and make the accent colors in your home pop!
This is another reason why testing your stain color in your home is crucial. That way you can see how it will change the décor of your home without playing the guessing game.
Lighting
The lighting in your home can change the appearance of different stain colors as well.
Lighter stains are great for brightening a dark room but show off more of the wood’s natural imperfections. They are also great for a contrast in a home with darker furnishings and décor. Lighter stained floors also disguise everyday dust better and allow homeowners to clean less.
Dark floors can give balance to a bright room and offer a good base for decorating. However, even though they camouflage the wood’s natural imperfections, they are also more likely to accentuate other imperfections such as scratches, dust and pet hair. So, if you have a dogs or children who act like dogs, a lighter stain color may be your best option.
Customizing Your Stain
Hardwood floors are a big investment, and a major design component in your home, so don’t settle for just any stain color or any hardwood floor company.
Filipski Hardwood Floors uses the highest quality DuraSeal stain colors, and we can customize any of them to match your needs. Say you want a little more red or a little more brown in your stain color, we can custom mix any of our DuraSeal stain colors to get it just right.
WOOD TYPES
Please view the video below for help in choosing among the many types of Hardwood Floors available.
CARING TIPS
How to clean your hardwood floors
Put half a pinky nails worth of dishwashing liquid into a wringer bucket. Dishwashing liquid is a neutral cleaner and will help to remove dirt well without leaving a residue.
Add a cap full of vinegar and fill with hot water. Vinegar is a mild disinfectant and will help to cut grease without leaving streaks.
Soak the mop head in the bucket for a few minutes to soften. The mop has to be almost dry before mopping hardwood floor.
When you mop, clean in an S-shaped pattern. This ensures you get all areas of the floor cleaned. Keep your bucket around you and try not to step into areas you’ve already cleaned.
To be extra diligent, you can take a microfiber cloth and do a quick wipe down so no water is left behind.
Best practice
Sweep and vacuum once or twice a week and mop once every one or two weeks.
Here’s a video that explains more!